Carson Wentz wasn’t the Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback on Sunday, but he ended up helping secure an incredible victory for his team.
Wentz started the game against the Green Bay Packers as back-up to Kyler Murray, but midway through the game, Murray was hit hard and deemed unable to play due to a concussion. Wentz stepped in and completed 12 of 19 passes for 133 yards, had three touchdowns and had a two-point conversion. Minnesota was down heading into the fourth quarter but scored 22 unanswered points. Wentz’s three touchdown passes went to wide receiver Justin Jefferson (twice) and tight end T.J. Hockenson.
When asked “what it was like to prepare for the season while watching a QB competition unfold in front of him,” per Sports Spectrum, Wentz responded with faith.
“At the end of the day, leaving it in God’s hands,” the quarterback said. “…I’m confident in what I bring to the table, what I can do, and if my number gets called, that I can step up when needed. Who knew how it was gonna play out? None of us did in here, but [I] trusted God through it.”
He also shared some photos from the day on Instagram, including one of him and his wife and two children, another of him throwing the ball and a third of him praying with his family.
“Love my crew. Love this team,” Wentz wrote in the caption. He also wrote “#AO1” which means “Audience of One,” referring to his commitment to letting the Lord use his talents for His glory.
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He spoke about his faith in the past, saying his relationship with Jesus “has meant everything to me.”
Wentz told Sports Spectrum at Super Bowl LIX when he played for the Kansas City Chiefs, “… [The Super Bowl] is definitely a platform I feel God’s given me, and other guys, to make sure that people use it to spread His name — to make Him famous. Again, life’s not all about us.”
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Ultimately, Wentz recognizes his NFL career comes from God.
“Because of how much He loves me, He was willing to allow His Son to go through the agony of dying on that cross,” Wentz told Sports Spectrum in 2021. “And I think that is when the peace just rushes over me and I think, ‘All right God, there is so much more at play than the X’s and O’s of football, and the highs and lows of wins and losses, and that gives me peace.’”
Wentz’s identity isn’t wrapped up in whether he’s starting or standing on the sidelines. Whether he ends up handing the job back to Murray or holding onto it, he has already shown Vikings fans exactly what he brings when his number is called: composure, faith and the ability to lead a team back from behind when it matters most.
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